MEDIA REACTION MEP; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 002081

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION MEP; HARARE



1. Under headline "U. S. double standards on Israel
deplorable" the pro-government weekly "The Sunday
Mirror" dedicated its October 12 editorial to
accusing the United States of treating Israel with
kid gloves. "The U. S.'s hypocrisy and double
standards when it comes to dealing with Israel's
travesties against international law and conventions
has done irreparable damage to its credibility as an
honest mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict," the editorial charged. Excerpts:


2. "Once again, the U. S. is threatening to use its veto
power in the U. N. Security Council to upstage a resolution
that does not favor its erstwhile ally, Israel. The U. N.
Security Council will this week hold an open session on
Israel's construction of a security barrier in the
Palestinian West bank, but the U. S. has hinted it will
veto an Arab-proposed resolution declaring the barrier
illegal. . .The U. S. has used its veto power in the
council to block several resolutions it had considered to
be anti-Israel. Recently, President George W. Bush lamely
defended Israel's military attack on Syria on the grounds
that Israel had a right to defend itself. The U. S.'s
hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to dealing
with Israel's travesties against international law and
conventions has done irreparable damage to its credibility
as an honest mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

SULLIVAN